Apparatus for feeding plastic ceramic material to molds in the manufacture of pottery ware



NOV. 29, 1949 W. J, M|| ER 2,489,796

` APPARATUS- FOR FEEDING PLASTIC CERAMIC MATERIAL TO MCLDS IN THE MANUFACTURE 0F POTTERYWARE Original Filed May 16, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WILLIHM J MiLLER wlzxQToRNY W Nov. 29, 1949 w. J. MILLER 2,489,796

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING PLASTIC CERAMIC MATERIAL TO MOLDS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POTTERYWARE Original Filed May 16, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i v 56 if 554 91 fly l INVENTOR WILLIHM J. MILLER BY /C 7 YORNEY L NOV. 29, 1949 W M|| R APPARATUS FOR FEEDING PLASTIC CERAMIC MATERIAL TO MOLDS IN THE -MANUFACTURE OF POTTERYWARE Original Filed May 16, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mvENToR WILLIHM J. MILLER Patented Nov. 29, 1949 A RAMICv MATERIAL 'rdf Molins. IN THE MANUFACTURE oF Porra-ar WARE William J. Miller; Swissvale, 1"a., assignor to Miller Pottery Engineering. Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporationf of ,Bexinsylvania Original application May 16, 1942 Serial No.V 443,226; Divided and this application October 1I; 1945, SerialNoj. 621,806

6;,Claims., (Cl.E 25e-222) 1` 2 Thisisa division-of myco-pendingapplication, seat 4|"y forming. part of a reciprocating transfer,

'SerlalfNo 443,226, rlledv May 16, 11942, Patent No.. frame 42., Figure 2, is shifted under chuck S to 2;450',4s37-. receive the mold after it is charged with clay.

The present application has to do with that Clay charges are segregated from an elongated phaseof;` thekk invention of my earliery applica'-.V 5. column of clay composed of one or more pugs tionwhich relates to the feeding of'plastic cer- E2,y Figure l. A receiver for the pug or pugs of mio-material to -the molds of an automaticl jig-Y clay, which are extruded by a pug mill and either geringI machine wherein the operation of the'A manually or automatically cut oi or placed upon feederiscontrolled by theoperation of the ma-f the receiver, comprises a frame. 50 adjustably chine. 1 0 mountedon the machine frame, having its upper. Insome respects, the feeding apparatus hereof-f surface formed like a trough in which the upper.

is--similar to that shcwnl and described inhthefrun of an endless conveyor belt 5l is disposed..

pate-nt to'WilliamJ. MillerV et al. No.r 2,301-9065A Thereceiver trough has a horizontal, or nearly' However, theA present invention` contemplates: horizontal, loading position where additional' improvements therein which are intended-:tossim-n 15 pugsof clay are. placed on the machine, and a plifiv theV structure and improve the operating-1 downwardly curved portion leading to the molds emciency thereof. at th'efeeding station B where the leading endf Inrthe drawings:v of" the pug is supported in substantially vertical" Eigure l isa side elevation ofthe-feedenhereofs nosition'over the feeder chuck 3i), and preferably mountedon-a fabricating machine?. 20 in axial'alignment with the vertical axis of the Figure, 2v is a plan View of the apparatusfshowm chuck and mold.

irlrEigure;1.` The conveyor belt 5| moves the clay toward' Figure 3; is aside elevation of; the apparatus; the severing zone, which is between the mold` ogiFigurel. chuck 3,0 and the lowermost end of the pug Fgllleg is: an enlarged, fragmentary detail. of; g5 where slices are cut therefrom by a cutting wire thdmechanismffor moving the feeder' belt. 5I' stretched across a reciprocating frame 55 Figure 5 is a vertical section taken-on thefline;` operated by a uid motor 56, Figures 2 and 6. g-oflfigure 1. Adjustable means are provided for operating Figure- 6 is a piping diagram showing thefluid., thebleltI l'whereby to accurately determine the systemby meansof which the feeder, is operatedggo desired bulk for the charges in accordance with and` is, controlled byI the fabricating1 machine., thejtype of Ware into which they are to be formed. With reference. to Figure l, the reference charf, For this purpose, the lower run of the belt 5l is atenl generally designates the fabricatingma--- tensioned between idler pulleys 59 and 6d, Figchine, and 2. the feeder. This fabricating ma: ure 1,: and extends between an upper anvil plate chine is of that type kno-wnin theart as an auto.- 35. 6l anda pneumatically operated gripping shoe.,

matic j igger used to form dinnerware such as 62 of a' gripping head 63 mounted for reciproplates, cups, saucers and the like from plasticV cation' in parallelism with said run by means of ceramic material. A detailed description of the, rollers 64I thereon operating in gudeways e5 jiggeringmachine I will be found in the` parentv o f the frame 5B. (Figures 4 and 5). The gripoffthis divisional application. taping-shoe |2fis mounted on the upper fleXilole1 seen in Figure 2, the molds in or on which diaphragm Wall 66,' such as rubber, of an expanthe-wareris formed are progressed intermittently4 sibley cliamber'l of the gripping head, which, as,

to,atransfer station A Where they enter a` fork, the head isv moved 'in one direction, is inated to zgfthat carries one mold at a, time` over to ther cause the shoe to clamp the belt upon the anvil` center of the machine directly above achuckllf.r ,gplate to advance the belt therewith, the chamber atfthe feeding position B. beingV deflated upon thereturn stroke of the head The fabricating machine includes aframe I0, toreleasethe shoe. from the belt. The belt isA einlocation a crosshead Il on which-,issupported.. byv aldzuplicate gripping head 68 which is fixedlyl abracketfSl thatfinl turn supports thechuck,39..,50nmountedon the feeder frame 53, Wlth lts ani/1l -A;;,camf32 on shaft `2| of thefabricatingmachine, plate arranged under the belt and operating to,

operates the, fork 29 through parallel` links -3131i*t grip the ,belt when same is released from the thevchuck 3l) and crosshead Il are raised-1 by head 63. IB on shaft 21|, the transferY fork 2l is The gripping head 63 is connected with the pis-y Figures. 1l and 2, which supports forvertical, reheldffrom retracting with the gripping head 63"' 3 motor 12 to be operated thereby. The cylinder 'i3 of the fluid motor is mounted on the feeder frame 50 and has an adjustable end Wall 'I4 for limiting the stroke of the piston 'l5 of the motor in controlling the amount of advancement of the belt El in accordance with the clay bulk demand for the charges. The end Wall 14 constitutes the inner end of a cylindrical core 'I6 in sealed telescoping engagement within the cylinder 13 and Y being adjustable into various positions therein by havin-g a swiveling connection, as ati'l'l, with the end of an adjusting screw 18 threaded in a bearing "i9 of the frame 5t, Fluid, such as air under resilient diaphragm to be expanded by fluid prespressure, may be admitted into the cylinder I3V Y at the core end thereof, in operating the piston 'l5 by way of a central port 82 in the core, airy being admitted into the other cylinder end in a' customary manner through a port 83.

As seen in Figure 6, the various fluid pressurel operated devices described may be energized from a main 84 through suitable valve means. To this end, the chambers of the gripping heads 63 and $8 are connected with said main 84 by way,V

of conduits 85 and 86 and three-way valves 8l and 38 operated by similar cams 89 and 90 on a timer shaft 9i driven in uniform timed relation with the cam shaft 2l through a sprocket and chain connection 92 therebetween. (Figures l and 3.) Y

The ends of the charge-cutting motor 56,and slug feeding motor 'l2 are connected with the air pressure main through ordinary cylinder and piston type four-way valves 95 and S6 controlled by pairs of bleeder valves 9'! and S8 operated by cams 9g and it@ on the timer shaft 9i (Figure l) The speed of advance imparted by the Vmotor 'i3 to the slug-feed gripping head 63 may be regulated so that excessive momentum will no't be imparted to the slug when fed. This is ac-f complished by including in each of the conduits ll and H32, connecting the ends of the cylinder of said motor with its valve 96, a check valve |03 and a by-pass i613 of the conduit therearound controlled by a needle valve |65 whereby air will be admitted to the cylinder ends by way of the check valve and exhausted by way of the needle valve so that the rate of flow of the exhausting'v air may be regulated.

It is desired, when making flatware, such'as dinner plates, to use a pug of clay whose outside' diameter is about two-thirds the diameter of the molding surface to thereby minimize the amount of spreading later on to expand the charge to full ware size. Obviously, the charge can be made the same diameter as the ware-forming surface and pressed against the mold later by a die to alix the clay thereto preparatory t0 jiggering. In this event, the charge would spread out beyond the molding surface. A mold with a ricket edge may be used to crack off any spare that spreads beyond the actual molding surface, Furthermore, in making coupes, nappies and the like, a smaller diameter, thicker charge may be used.

What I claim is: 1. Clay feeding apparatus comprising, a conveyor for carrying a pug of clay to a cutting olf position, a horizontally movable cutting member at the cutting olf position, a movable fluid pres-V sure operated gripping device having a resilient diaphragm to be alternately expanded into gripl ping engagement with the conveyor and relaxed` to release the conveyor from the gripping de'- vice, a stationary, uid pressure operated gripping device including a resilient diaphragm to be alternately expanded into gripping engagement to the belt to initial position.

5. Clay feeding apparatus comprising, a conpressure to cause the device to grip the conveyor,

fluid operated control means for alternately actuating said gripping devices, and fluid operated means for moving said movable gripping device with and relative to said conveyor.

3. Clay feeding apparatus comprising, a frame, a belt conveyor supported thereby for carrying a pug of clay to a cutting oi position, a movable cutting member for Yslicing discs of clay from said pug, a movable gripping device having a resilient diaphragm and an anvil thereabove between which the belt passes, fluid pressure means for expanding said diaphragm to cause the belt to be pressed in non-slip relation against said anvil, a fluid motor beneath said frame having a piston rod connected to said gripping device, a stationary gripping device, spaced from the first named device provided with an anvil and a :Huid pressure operated diaphragm therebetween through which the belt passes, means for alternately expanding said diaphragms, and means for operating said fluid motor when said movable gripping device is in gripping relation with the belt and when said movable gripping device is released therefrom.

4. Clay feeding apparatus comprising a frame, a belt conveyor carried by the frame for transporting a pug of clay to a cutting off position,

. a diaphragm to be expanded by fluid pressure to cause the belt to be gripped against an anvil, means for alternately operating said diaphragms and means for moving said movable gripping de-' vice when the diaphragm-thereof is expanded to cause the belt to be moved and the pug ad-l vanced relative to the cutting'member and for reversing the movement of the movablegripping device when its diaphragm is relaxed to causeZ relative n the movable gripping head to be moved veyor for carrying a pug of clay to a cutting-off position, a cutter movable transversely of the pug atthe cutting-oil position, a reciprocable gripper having an element movable by fluid pressure alternately to and from gripping engagement with the conveyor, a stationary gripper having an element movable by fluid pressure alternately to and from gripping engagement with the conveyor, and uid operated means for moving said movably-mounted gripper with and relative to said conveyor.

6. Clay feeding apparatus comprising, a frame, a belt conveyor carried lby the frame for trans? porting a pug of clay to a cutting-off position,l a cutter movable transversely of the pug for slicing discs of clay therefrom at the cutting-olf position, a stationary gripper and a reciprocable' gripper each having an anvil and an elementl adjacent to the anvil movable alternately to and reverse direction when said movable element 10 thereof is released from engagement with the belt to cause the reciprocable gripper to be moved relative to the belt to its initial position.

WILLIAM J. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name n Date 1,695,327 Goldston Dec. 18, 1928 1,872,508 Schutz et al Aug. 15, 1932 1,991,705 Schreiber et a1 Feb. 19, 1935 2,301,906 Miller et al. Nov. 10, 1942 

